Belt grinder?

[rhinoknives]

Well I have come around to the notion of the DIY kmg style grinder as the best route forward. No thread jack meant but unfortunately the drill press question is just as important and as far as I know you can't DIY them to save some money.

It's discouraging to read so many negative customer reviews of every drill press costing $500 and less as recorded on the Amazon site.

As I hope to build folders I'm led to believe that more precision is needed from your drill press than that needed to do fixed blades.

The number of apparently drill press knowledgeable buyers who have expressed great dissatisfaction with the build quality and lack of precision of all these < $500 machines is surprising. No precision, poor quality, vibration, warped tables, tables not aligned 90 degrees to spindle, etc. etc. the list of problems is pretty long.

I'm now wondering if a top model Foredom tool and guide might not be better? No access to second hand pre-war and American made gear unfortunately.

What all drill presses are you folder guys using?

thanks, barney the noob.

GWF,
I don't make folders but I do agree that a decent drill press is necessary for both.

I suggest that you start another thread here or Shop Talk, asking both folder & Fixed makers what drill press they have that they would recommend?

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com

 

[exitium]

If you looking at spending a decent amount on a drill press, and your looking at making folders, perhaps you want to consider a mill/drill, something like the grizzly g0704 perhaps.

 

[Drew Riley]

Well I have come around to the notion of the DIY kmg style grinder as the best route forward. No thread jack meant but unfortunately the drill press question is just as important and as far as I know you can't DIY them to save some money.

It's discouraging to read so many negative customer reviews of every drill press costing $500 and less as recorded on the Amazon site.

As I hope to build folders I'm led to believe that more precision is needed from your drill press than that needed to do fixed blades.

The number of apparently drill press knowledgeable buyers who have expressed great dissatisfaction with the build quality and lack of precision of all these < $500 machines is surprising. No precision, poor quality, vibration, warped tables, tables not aligned 90 degrees to spindle, etc. etc. the list of problems is pretty long.

I'm now wondering if a top model Foredom tool and guide might not be better? No access to second hand pre-war and American made gear unfortunately.

What all drill presses are you folder guys using?

thanks, barney the noob.

Barney,

Whereabouts are you located? Having an idea of where you are will give us an idea of just what exactly may be available to you.

As for making precision holes for folders...
You'll likely have a hard time finding a "perfect hole maker" for less than several hundred dollars (if not a couple thousand or more), at least not without stepping up to a milling machine, or a dedicated boring machine. That being said, there are several things you can do to make a "lesser" tool more tolerable.

Tables can be surfaced if needed, or precision ground plates/auxillary tables installed on top of them. A quality vice can take some of the guesswork out if you install it correctly. You may need to shim it if the table is not perfectly flat.
Vibration can be mitigated to some degree with new or higher quality bearings, or even simply installing something like a fenner linked belt.
Dial indicators can square your table to your quill within a reasonable tolerace, and using the right (quality) drill bits can actually make a noticeable difference as well.

Upgrading chucks can help too.

All that geing said, plenty of makers get away with less than perfect tolerances on their drill presses, and while it does take some of the guess work out, it's not entirely necessary that your drill press have .0005 run out or less (in my opinion).

 

[Rudy Joly]

Andrew is right.
No tool functions perfectly right out of the box.
It wasn't all too long ago, knifemakers did everything by hand and still made works of art. We're not building pianos or the Taj Mahal. When starting out we all learn to adapt to the limitations of our skills and equipment. Better equipment won't always enhance our skills. There's nothing wrong with wanting the best but that must be tempered with your means of getting it or actually needing it. Take it in stride and do the best you can until you know for a fact your equipment is holding you back.

Rudy